SA Rugby pays tribute to SARU legend Harold Wilson

SA Rugby has paid tribute to former South African Rugby Union (SARU) administrator Harold Wilson who died on Tuesday, aged 94. 

Wilson served SARU alongside Dullah Abbas, Ebrahim Patel, Baby Richards and Dan Qeqe and served on the board of the first racially integrated South African Rugby Football Union.

Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, paid tribute to the massive role that Wilson played in ensuring unity between South Africa's different rugby bodies more than 30 years ago, which allowed the Springboks to return to the international stage in the 1990s.

“In 2004, Harold was given a President's Award for his long-standing service to the game, along with others such as Dan Qeqe, Martin Visagie, Curnick Mdyesha, Thomas Musson and Lawton Fourie, which underlined his great standing in the South African rugby community," said Alexander.

"Apart from fighting for the rights of those who were excluded under apartheid, Harold also served the game as an administrator and national selector for SARU, where he worked with other big names such as Dan Qeqe, Tobie Titus, TC Hardenberg and John Neethling.

"After years of very hard work behind the scenes, when we finally established unity in the game in South Africa, Harold served on the first SARFU Board and further ploughed back into the game he loved so much."

 Wilson wrote the history of SARU in 1994 and was a co-author of the book "112 years of Springbok Rugby" in 2003 and "The Badge" in 2008, but he also worked in cricket administration in Eastern Province.

"His was a beacon of light in his community, province and the whole of South Africa, and his legacy will live forever in rugby," added Alexander.

"I'm privileged to honour the massive contributions he has made the rugby over many,